Wodonga weaner sale day two could be best ever, buyers say

A big crowd at Wodonga’s Angus weaner sale has been left shocked after it took just two hours for the lot to sell, with many saying it’s the best they’ve ever seen.

THE best sale ever is how today’s Angus weaner offering at Wodonga is being rated after buyers spent $40,000 a minute.

It took just two hours for the 2519 cattle to sell, grossing $4.4 million and averaging $1738.

The pace of the bidding, combined with the willingness of most to step up and pay the higher rates, left many stunned as steer weaners made $2070 and demand for heifers was intense pushing rates to $1880.

Many of the mid-weight steers made about 500c/kg or more while restocker interest in heifers saw prices above 500c/kg for future breeders to put back into the paddock.

It was hard to keep up with the sale action, with a big crowd jostling to get a bid in, and pens knocked down rapidly.

Corcoran Parker director Cameron Hilton said he had “never seen anything like it”.

“We had expectations based on yesterday, but these prices are $100-$150 higher than the already high rates at the end of last year,” Mr Hilton said.

“Locals held their ground but there were cattle that went everywhere from Colac to Queensland.”

Mr Hilton also praised the introduction of technology, with online bidding contributing strongly to the sale.

About 20 per cent (506 cattle) sold online, 80 per cent of which were heifers, to 33 buyers from Yass, Barraba, Blayney, Coolah, North Star and Eurobin.

“COVID has forced us as agents to think outside the square,” he said.

Observers rated the quality of the cattle as excellent, with big lines of well-bred weaners tempting some to spend more.

There were also more weaner cattle at the sale today than yesterday and that was considered an extra incentive for buyers to spend.

Today’s offering featured a large run of EU-accredited cattle, but it was a pen of non-EU accredited steers that topped the sale.

J and J Maddock took the honours for the highest priced pen of steers, selling a pen of 20 Angus weighing 433kg for $2070 or 478c/kg.

The best price for EU-accredited cattle was $1920, paid for the tops of the draft of Angus steer weaners from John and Sarah Adams from Staghorn Flat. Their top pen weighed 401kg and returned 479c/kg while their lighter pen, at 341kg, made $1745 or 511c/kg.

Prices for the heavier steers 370-410kg settled at 460-490c/kg with steers 300-350kg making up to 540c/kg, a rate paid by Rangers Valley feedlot for a pen of 324kg steers or $1750.

The few weaners under 300kg made even higher than this, including the offering from E and C Glass, with their heavier pen at 304kg making $1700 (559c/kg) but their lighter pen of 266kg steers making $1570 or 590c/kg.

There was no respite for buyers with heifer prices, with restockers pushing rates above 500c/kg for the best lines.

Heifer weaners from 330-350kg consistently made 460-480c/kg yet there were many sales better than this.

Charles Stewart and Co from Colac paid up to 534c/kg for a pen of 29 heifer weaners weighing 352kg ($1880), which was also the top price on a dollar a head basis.

Other high rates for heifers were a line of 300kg breeders which made $1540 (513c/kg) and a pen of 298kg heifers which made $1510 (507c/kg).

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RESULTS

DAY TWO – ANGUS STEER WEANERS

J&J Maddock: 20, 433kg, $2070 (478c/kg).

C&A Sharp: 9, 436kg, $2015 (462c/kg); 7, 415kg, $1920 (463c/kg).

G&D Macaulay: 7, 431kg, $1990 (462c/kg); 48, 383kg, $1860 (486c/kg).

J&S Adams: 93, EU-accredited, 401kg, $1920 (479c/kg); 34, 341kg, $1745 (511c/kg).

Harkers Creek: 21, EU-accredited, $1900 (483c/kg).

McKenzie-McHarg: 17, 410kg, $1890 (461c/kg); 5, 346kg, $1700 (491c/kg).

B&B Campbell: 64, EU-accredited, 404kg, $1870 (463c/kg).

A&J Pratt: 18, 392kg, $1860 (474c/kg).

Tatong Valley Beef: 19, 391kg, $1860 (476c/kg).

R&D Snaith: 13, 390kg, $1860 (477c/kg).

P&C Klippel: 18, 398kg, $1860 (467c/kg).

The Cascade: 22, EU-accredited, 375kg, $1850 (493c/kg); 5, 324kg, $1750 (540c/kg).

Killarney: 14, EU-accredited, 406kg, $1850 (456c/kg); 16, 371kg, $1790 (482c/kg).

N Ryan: 14, EU-accredited, 400kg, $1850 (463c/kg); 12, 370kg, $1770 (478c/kg).

W Dickinson: 10, 395kg, $1835 (465c/kg); 6, 360kg, $1760 (489c/kg).

Ray Vinge: 15, 397kg, $1825 (460c/kg); 21, 344kg, $1770 (515c/kg).

R Otto and K Findlay: 8, EU-accredited, 383kg, $1820 (475c/kg); 13, 356kg, $1780 (500c/kg).

DAY TWO – ANGUS HEIFER WEANERS

Narracala Partnership: 29, 352kg, $1880 (534c/kg); 5, 307kg, $1550 (504c/kg).

McKenzie McHarg: 12, 398kg, $1800 (452c/kg).

R&D Snaith: 14, 377kg, $1710 (454c/kg).

Deanhill Pty Ltd: 17, 353kg, $1700 (482c/kg); 11, 305kg, $1500 (492c/kg).

Killarney: 11, 357kg, $1690 (473c/kg).

Mirrabooka Farms: 55, 339kg, $1680 (496c/kg); 8, 303kg, $1500 (495c/kg).

Mulwood Partnership: 15, 351kg, $1670 (451c/kg).

Carinya Estates: 16, 341kg, $1630 (478c/kg).

E Millard: 11, 341kg, $1620 (475c/kg).

Tatong Valley Beef: 30, 346kg, $1620 (468c/kg).

Kiindamindi: 14, 355kg, $1600 (451c/kg).

M&K Taprell: 12, 334kg, $1600 (479c/kg).

Ray Vinge: 11, 330kg, $1580 (479c/kg).